3ada عادة
Moroccan Darija · noun
“3ada” (عادة) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning habit.
Meanings
- habit
- custom, tradition
- usually, in general
Usage
3ada denotes a personal habit ("3ndi 3ada", I'm in the habit of) or a collective custom. In the plural, "l-3adat" refers to customs and traditions. The adverbial sense "usually" is expressed mainly by 3adatan, borrowed from the formal register but widespread, or by "3la l-3ada". For a personal habit, "mwalef" is also commonly said: "ana mwalef nnud bkri" (I'm used to getting up early).
Example
عندي عادة ديال النعاس بزّاف
3ndi 3ada dyal nn3as bezzaf
“I have a habit of sleeping a lot.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3ada” but also “3aada”, “3adatan”, “3aadatan” and “aada”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.
Type “3ada” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “habit”; “custom, tradition”: 3ada in Algerian.